Multi-modality gellan gum-based tissue-mimicking phantom with targeted mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties

Phys Med Biol. 2013 Aug 21;58(16):5511-25. doi: 10.1088/0031-9155/58/16/5511. Epub 2013 Jul 24.

Abstract

This study develops a new class of gellan gum-based tissue-mimicking phantom material and a model to predict and control the elastic modulus, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity by adjusting the mass fractions of gellan gum, propylene glycol, and sodium chloride, respectively. One of the advantages of gellan gum is its gelling efficiency allowing highly regulable mechanical properties (elastic modulus, toughness, etc). An experiment was performed on 16 gellan gum-based tissue-mimicking phantoms and a regression model was fit to quantitatively predict three material properties (elastic modulus, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity) based on the phantom material's composition. Based on these material properties and the regression model developed, tissue-mimicking phantoms of porcine spinal cord and liver were formulated. These gellan gum tissue-mimicking phantoms have the mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties approximately equivalent to those of the spinal cord and the liver.

MeSH terms

  • Acoustics
  • Electric Conductivity*
  • Materials Testing
  • Mechanical Phenomena*
  • Phantoms, Imaging*
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial*
  • Temperature*

Substances

  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial
  • gellan gum